Over the last three decades, myofascial work has become widespread
in the field of bodywork. This has happened because it has proved to be
a very effective approach to healing the body.

But what is the actual healing mechanism underlying this work?

In this article I propose that even though myofascial work appears
to be working simply with the physical tissue structure, it is actually
working with the energetic field of the body. I further propose that
this energy field is more fundamental than physical structure, and is
where the deepest healing occurs. I suggest that it is actually the
field of Qi (or energy) that is fundamentally affected by myofascial
therapies.

What has led me to this place is my understanding of the profound
interrelationships between the fascial network and the meridian and
acupuncture point system, which maps the energy field of the body.

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The practice of acupuncture is not accessible to most bodyworkers.
However, acupressure, which uses the hands, in particular finger
pressure on the acupuncture points, provides a vehicle which bridges the
structural and the energetic systems. Acupressure provides an interface
between soft tissue modalities and energetic medicine.

Thus the knowledge of acupressure makes it possible to
significantly expand the healing capacity of myofascial work.

It allows us to intelligently track and work with the flows of
energy as they are affected by tissue manipulation, and to greatly
facilitate, understand and direct the healing flow of Qi.

A number of recent landmark publications and research studies, as
well as the writings of an ancient Chinese physician, have noted
interrelationships between tissue manipulation and Qi. An overview of
these publications follows.

After that I present a case study which shows not just that the two
systems are interrelated, but that myofascial work creates profound
healing shifts in the client's energetic field.

Trigger points and acu points

Mark Seem's 1993 work provided an exploration of this
interface between the meridians of acupuncture and bodywork. He boldly
asserted, Acupuncture from a meridian perspective is primarily a
myofascial, musculoskeletal therapy'. (1) While it also produces
improvements in internal systems, it does this by treating the body
surface of the myofascial body fabric.

Much of Seem's work looked at the close relationship between
the acupuncture meridian system and the trigger point system developed
by Janet Travell in the 1940's. She defined a trigger point as
'a highly irritable localized spot of exquisite tenderness in a
nodule in a palpable taut band of muscle tissue'. (2)

Travell had no knowledge of Chinese medicine, yet her trigger point
map corresponds closely to the acupuncture points. How can we explain
this close correspondence? It appears that Travell had rediscovered an
ancient system first espoused by Sun Simiao in the 7th century. That
venerable Chinese physician discovered that tender points on the body,
what he called a-shi points, were accumulations of congested, stagnant
Qi. While modern maps of the meridians can provide precise anatomical
locations of acupuncture points, these locations are merely a guide to
the areas where the tender a-shi points may be found.

When the communist government in China resurrected the lost art of
acupuncture in the 1950's, they created a system that could be
strictly codified and taught in colleges and which moreover had a
western medical slant. Point location became a theoretical exercise and
the concept of the a-shi points was overlooked. However, this method of
palpating for tender points remains alive and well in Japan where
acupuncturists are far more willing to use their palpation skills to
find points.

Mark Seem wanted to restore this myofascial perspective to
acupuncture. 'To me, unblocking the qi through acupuncture is
identical to myofascial release ... Classical acupuncture and modern
myofascial perspectives have much to offer each other.' (1)

Myofascial chains and trains

The concept of trigger points was taken a step further by Headley
who, in treating myofascial pain, identified strings of related trigger
points which form myofascial chains. (3) The work with patients with low
back pain traced myofascial chains down the back and legs in a pattern
that bears a remarkable similarity to the pathways of the Bladder and
Gall Bladder meridians.

The ground breaking work of Thomas Myers' Anatomy Trains took
this concept of myofascial chains to another level. He identified nine
of these myofascial networks which he called myofascial meridians.
'Muscles operate across functionally integrated body-wide
continuities within the fascial webbing. These sheets and lines follow
the warp and weft of the body's connective tissue fabric, forming
traceable 'meridians' of myofascia.' (4)

Myers took time to explain that the myofascial meridians are not
acupuncture meridians. Yet to those with a knowledge of acupuncture
meridians, the similarity is immediately obvious. Others have taken the
trouble to investigate the correspondence. Peter Dorsher's study of
Myers' nine myofascial meridians revealed that, 'In 8 of 9
comparisons, there was substantial overlap in the distributions of the
anatomically derived myofascial meridians with those of the acupuncture
Principal Meridian distributions'. (5) In addition the ninth could
be described as a combination of two acupuncture meridians.

Dorsher concluded that, The marked degree of correspondence noted
in this qualitative study between the distributions of the anatomically
derived myofascial meridians to those of acupuncture Principal Meridians
is unlikely to be coincidental'.

More generally, scientists and practitioners alike have noted the
close correspondence between the meridians and the fascial network. John
Barnes, developer of Myofascial Release Therapy asserts that, 'The
acupuncture meridians lie within the fascial system. Recent research has
shown that each acupuncture point is a fascial structure'. (6)

One such piece of research was that by Langevin and Yandow which
mapped acupuncture points in serial gross anatomical sections through
the human arm. 'We found an 80% correspondence between the sites of
acupuncture points and the location of intermuscular or intramuscular
connective tissue planes in postmortem tissue sections.' (7)

To return to Dorsher, he believes that sufferers of myofascial pain
can benefit from either acupuncture or myofascial techniques. 'I
think it is fair to say that the myofascial pain tradition represents an
independent rediscovery of the healing principles of traditional Chinese
medicine.' (8)

Under the Bonnet

While these studies undoubtedly point to a correspondence between
myofascial structures and meridians, I believe that it is the system of
Qi flow that underpins all physical structures including the fascia and
organs. With a knowledge of the acupuncture meridians we can work
directly with the underlying Qi, thereby not simply achieving myofascial
pain relief, but affecting qualitative changes in our clients at the
levels of organs, systems, psyche and emotions.

Let me give an example of a recent case. My client presented with
neck and jaw tightness, a feeling of being stuck in her head, worrying
excessively, feeling tight and sore in the gut and feeling out of touch
with her legs and feet.

I used standard myofascial techniques in her jaw, neck and upper
chest. The Stomach meridian flows through all these areas. The
myofascial work not only softened the tissue, but released blocked Qi in
the upper part of the Stomach meridian, allowing a free flow of Qi
through the lower part of the meridian, that is the abdomen, legs and
feet. As these changes happened, I supported and enhanced them by
holding some Stomach meridian points on her legs.

The client noticed healing that went far beyond the immediate
effects of the myofascial work. She felt more balance between the upper
and lower body, her stomach relaxed and there was a sense of ease in the
abdomen. Such were the physical changes. But in addition there were
significant emotional and energetic effects. There was a qualitative
shift in how she experienced herself internally. She felt grounded and
centered mentally, emotionally became much less worried, and overall had
a feeling of equanimity. Her pulses also changed, reflecting a balancing
of the Stomach meridian, as well as other meridians. These changes were
all in alignment with harmonizing of the Stomach meridian and the field
of Qi.

All these healings came about as a result of releasing the fascia,
but more fundamentally from a balancing of the Qi flow in the body.

Conclusion

As bodyworkers, we are uniquely placed to bring these two systems,
one ancient, the other modern, into an integrated whole. Working with
the fascia of an area of the body releases the congested Qi in the
acupuncture points in that area, and also in distant parts of the
relevant meridian or meridians. Understanding both systems allows us to
intelligently facilitate shifts in both the fascial network and the
energy body, thus healing not just the tissues, but also the organs, the
psyche and the emotions.